Aliyah's POV
Pain was the first thing to return. Not the sharp, biting pain of a wound, but a heavy, crushing ache that felt like my very cells were being crushed. I was floating in a sea of absolute nothingness, even my own thoughts felt like echoes of someone else's life.
'"Am I dead?"' I wondered.
'"Not yet,"' the voice whispered back. It was the same voice from the porch–the one that had spoken just as the violet gas filled my lungs. It was silky, ancient, and resonated with a power that made the Null-Bane feel like a common cold.
'"Who are you?"'
'"I am the part of you they tried to drown in history books and suppress with cheap pack chaos,"' the voice replied, sounding amused. '"They call us Zeen. They think we are healers. They think we are anchors. They think we are prizes to be won by brothers with emerald eyes."'
A flicker of light appeared in the darkness–a memory of Skylar's lips against mine, then Tyler's hand gripping my waist.
